Trailer wheel breaks free, strikes e-scooter rider in Gurnee

A 60-year-old man riding an e-scooter suffered life-threatening injuries Monday when a wheel broke free from a passing trailer and struck him in Gurnee, police said.

Gurnee police are investigating the accident, which occurred around 5:25 p.m. near Route 41 and Grand Avenue.

According to police, the Park City man was riding the scooter north along the Route 41 shoulder when a Ford F-450 pickup truck approached heading in the same direction, pulling a trailer carrying a front loader.

Police said two wheels then came detached from the trailer, and one hit the scooter rider. He was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, where he was listed in critical condition, police said Tuesday.

The driver of the Ford, a 45-year-old Waukegan man, was not injured. He remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators, police said.

The Lake County Major Crash Assistance Team is assisting Gurnee police with the ongoing investigation.

Anyone who may have captured the accident on a vehicle dash camera is asked to call the Gurnee Police Department at (847) 599-7000. Investigators are particularly interested in footage recorded near Route 41 and Grand Avenue at about 5:25 p.m. Monday.